2024-09-17 07:09:16
The new heart report shows that for the first time in Germany, more people are dying from heart disease. This is also due to below-average prevention in this country, says one expert.
The number of people with heart disease in Germany is constantly increasing; and the number of deaths resulting from this is also increasing for the first time in years. This is a problem that urgently needs to be solved. Cardiovascular disease is still the number one cause of loss of health in Germany – even ahead of cancer or diabetes.
There is a need for improvements in the prevention, therapy and rehabilitation of cardiovascular diseases, explained cardiologist Prof. Dr. Voigtländer, Chairman of the German Heart Foundation, at the presentation of the new German Heart Report in Berlin.
But it is precisely when it comes to prevention that Germany is lagging behind, said Dr. Eike Langheim at the event. He is the president of the German Society for Prevention and Rehabilitation of Cardiovascular Diseases and explains in an interview with t-online why this is the case and what people can do to reduce their own risk of heart disease.
Prevention refers to all measures taken to prevent a disease or at least delay its onset.
Life expectancy in Germany generally lower
If you compare Germany with countries that have a similar standard of living and similar healthcare spending, we fare worse, explained Eike Langheim. In France, Great Britain, Japan, Spain and Switzerland, for example, life expectancy is better, especially when it comes to cardiovascular diseases.
But what do these countries do better?
According to the expert, this is illustrated by a study entitled “The underwhelming German life expectancy”. It deals with the different life expectancies in high-income countries and the question of why this is comparatively low in Germany. The result of the international comparison: people in Germany have relatively poor eating habits. They eat little fruit and vegetables, but a lot of sugar.
Dr. med. Eike Langheim is chief physician and specialist in internal medicine at the Seehof Clinic. He is also the president of the German Society for Prevention and Rehabilitation of Cardiovascular Diseases.
In addition, health policy in Germany is far less aggressive in combating “dangerous behavior.” For example, in the 2000s and 2010s, Germany ranked among the worst internationally in terms of health policy, particularly in the areas of tobacco and alcohol control and nutrition, the study says.
“We need a broad initiative that takes a close look at heart health in Germany in terms of behavioral prevention, but also situational prevention,” said Eike Langheim.
While the Behavioral prevention aims to motivate individuals through education and training to avoid risks and to behave in a way that promotes health (such as exercising sufficiently and eating healthily), the Relationship prevention with a health-promoting design of working and living conditions (e.g. the ban on smoking in restaurants).
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The focus of this year’s heart report is heart failure, also known as cardiac insufficiency. It is estimated that up to four million people in Germany suffer from heart failure. Over 37,000 people die from it every year. This makes the widespread disease the third most common cause of death and one of the most common reasons for sudden cardiac death. The main causes of heart failure are coronary heart disease and high blood pressure.
For a healthy and strong heart, Langheim recommends that everyone leads a healthy lifestyle with a “Mediterranean-style” diet. According to the cardiologist, this means eating more fruit and vegetables, nuts, unsaturated fatty acids and occasionally fish. You should also incorporate regular exercise into your daily routine. Langheim recommends half to three-quarters of an hour of endurance training three times a week. In addition, you should “under no circumstances” smoke to protect your heart, warns the expert.
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Another piece of advice is to learn to relax and to allow yourself to do so. Permanent stress leads to higher blood pressure, a higher heart rate and an increased energy requirement of the heart. Inflammatory effects on the cardiovascular system are also described via a so-called heart-brain axis. Which exercises or activities really relax people varies greatly from individual to individual.
Last but not least, the expert points out that risk factors for heart failure, such as high blood pressure, obesity, diabetes and high cholesterol, should be treated promptly. In addition, cardiac rehabilitation can be considered for patients at risk.